Sharad Pawar, the president of Nationalist Congress Party (SP), criticized the Centre on Friday (August 16th, 2024) over not giving Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi a place in the first row at the Independence Day event, stating that it was disrespectful to the position of the Leader of the Opposition.
Speaking to party members from Maha Vikas Aghadi, which is an opposition coalition, Mr. Pawar said that even if BJP did not have a majority in terms of Lok Sabha polls, this does not mean that there are no threats to Constitution.
“The Centre dishonored the office of LoP,” said Pawar. “Governments treated LoP with scant respect and for instance at Red Fort yesterday also he was seated in last row,” said NCP (SP) chief.
According to Congress on Thursday (August 15th 2024), Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “pettiness” regarding democratic traditions was evident when Mr. Gandhi was asked to sit in fifth row at Independence Day celebrations held at Red Fort.
Mr. Pawar went on recalling how Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government made him alongside Cabinet Ministers during his tenure as leader of opposition at I-Day function and how Sushma Swaraj was given a seat meant for cabinet ranks when she served as LOP under PM Manmohan Singh.
Said Mr.Pawar “The Prime Minister is an institution, and so is the Leader of the Opposition. The prestige of PM’s post has to be maintained. Similarly, LoP’s prestige is also equally important.”
